Sunday, July 31, 2011

back on the train

Well, we're back on the adoption train.  Despite a miserable first trip, we just cannot ignore this deeply held longing to add to our family through adoption.  A month ago we began updating our home study in anticipation of bringing a Chinese toddler into our home. 

We know, maybe more than most, that nothing, and I mean NOTHING is ever guaranteed.  So it's hard for us to guess at time frames and predictions and estimates.  I mean, last year this time I would have predicted that summer 2011 I'd be momma to four.  And I'm not. 

But we do know that international adoptions are (typically, not always) much more stable and predictable than domestic adoption.  And we hope and dream of adoption adding to our family in 2012. 

We are, more specifically, pursuing a special needs adoption where boys outnumber girls 2 to 1 on the list of available children.  Last year we always said "open to either sex" but this year, knowing that 'either' would probably mean 'boy', we went ahead and specified that we'd like a boy.  Honestly, as we emotionally move through this process, the fewer unanswered questions and maybes that hang over our heads the better. 

So that's where we're at.  Our sweet children, who have waited looooong months for our new baby to appear, are still waiting.  So are we.  But we wait with hope.  And expectation. 

The kids' perspective is actually really refreshing.  They talk about "our new baby" as if he/she might pop up any day now :)  I'm hoping to create a chart or poster that will help them understand the many steps that need to happen before the new sibling shows up..... when I do get around to making some sort of graphic representation of the process I'll take a picture and post it here, for those of you who are curious as well. 

The next big step (immigration approval) is basically a bunch of waiting.  We'd love for our paperwork to move quickly, but also realize that the timing of this whole process is entirely in the Lord's hands, and we trust His judgment more than our own - or at least we try to :)

We'll be sure to update when the news gets really exciting :) 

Saturday, July 30, 2011

right in the middle of her forehead

"There was a little girl
who had a little curl
right in the middle of her forehead."


I heard that rhyme a time or two growing up :)  Now I think of it when I look at my Lydia.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

peach pie

After years of cooking with little ones whose "help" often amounted to bigger messes and inconvenient spills and long, deep breaths for the mommy I am definitely seeing the bright light at the end of the tunnel!

No, that's not the way to put it.  I do love cooking with little helpers - but it's also nice to see what cooking with bigger helpers is like :)

Tonight a local friend joined us for dinner and afterwards the two of us baked a peach pie.  Julianna was FIRED UP about helping.  We sat around our big kitchen table - I peeled peaches, our friend removed the pits and cut the peach into large chunks, and Julianna finished it up by cutting into smaller pieces.  She was such a diligent worker (her own table knife and cutting board, sitting in the chair next to me).

This is the second time in just a few weeks that after baking with her I thought, "wow, she really did make the work go quicker - when did she become such a helpful little helper?"  It won't be long until she's making peach pie on her own (as she confidently declared to our friend this evening!)

Unfortunately, bedtime came before the oven timer buzzed, but I promised her I'd take photos of the uncut pie and she could eat her piece in the morning. 

So, meet tomorrow morning's breakfast :)



You only live once, right?  I'm thinking that "the day we ate peach pie for breakfast" will stick in her memory for a good long while!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

....that Granddaddy loves



Isaac refers to this particular tee as "my Wake Forest shirt that Granddaddy loves"  (yes, he is long-winded for a two year old!)

We are well stocked with multiple versions of this shirt in all sorts of sizes, so he'll be well-attired for a good long while now :)


[playing Ants in the Pants - this little guy LOVES games!  He and the girls and Matt are playing Jenga right now.]




Dad, he'll be sporting this one at the airport when we meet you in a month or so :)

Monday, July 25, 2011

the beauty salon

Take one hot Saturday afternoon in the courtyard.  Add in the ever-present squirt bottles, and a bike pump, and a willing mommy. 

What do you get? 


A beauty salon :)  The squirt bottles to wet down hair, the bike pump as hair dryer, and all the little girl hair accessories you ever imagined.  It was pretty awesome.






(pictures provided by one dear husband who did NOT travel - as it turned out the travel situation needed him less and less and the homefront needed him more and more, so he chose to stick around home.....) 

Thursday, July 21, 2011

moving the furniture

A few days ago I re-arranged some of our living room furniture so I could fit the kids table into the living room space.  The little table used to be in their bedroom and we only brought it out when we had lots of company and needed a little table for little people (which, since we tend to host a lot, is usually a few times a month). 

When it was in their room they used it quite a bit, but they also told me they didn't like to do crafts there because "it was too far away from you Mommy".  [Keep in mind that our apartment is hardly a sprawling mansion and you'd be hard pressed to be more than about fifteen steps away from me at any given moment in the day - it's all relative, I guess!]

So I moved it into the living room  


and we all love the new spot.



This morning they were busy working on new magazine puzzles and drawing tablets that arrived in packages this week. 


Added bonus is that the crafts don't need to be cleaned up before lunch is served :) 


 Always busy, loving their creativity, and glad to have them working in their 'own space'! 



Wednesday, July 20, 2011

a surprise (for me!)

Yesterday Matt gave me the afternoon off - the plan was that he would finish up about noon, take the kids and I could head into town early.  Then he would meet me in town later for a date night. 

Well, I hop in the car and there is a note on the passenger seat waiting for me with instructions "read when you get to town".  And of course I do read it.  And it says "I booked you a hotel room and will watch the kids til 2 tomorrow.  Let me know what to pack when I come meet you for our date later".  YAY for me!!! 

We've had kind of a long, tough haul here recently with a number of different complicating factors and 24 hours away was such a sweet gift from a thoughtful husband!  I loved every minute (including the extra minutes of sleep) and returned home refreshed and rejuvenated. 

The kids and I had a great afternoon and our sweet little 7 month old neighbor joined us for part of it too.  Le Le is one of my children's favorite people - they love her almost as much as her little 7 month old body can handle - and sometimes even give a smidge more love than she can tolerate!  Her parents have a lot going on as they prepare for an international move (terribly sad for us, our favorite neighbors leaving just six months after we arrive).  So we see a lot of this little one and I LOVE being her favorite baby sitter :)  [and that's a fact, not just my opinion! ha!] 

Anyways, that's the quick update on our last 24 hours :) 

Monday, July 18, 2011

weekend recap (aka we miss daddy)

The kids and I ended our daddy-less streak with a two night stay at a friend's apartment (they are currently out of the country and we occasionally 'borrow' their home!).

We arrived on Friday afternoon and discovered a power outage over that section of the city.  The kids were so distracted by the “new” toys that they hardly even noticed, but it was HOT HOT HOT with no air con or fans to move the air around.  

Isaac woke up drenched in sweat from his nap and shortly after we headed outside for a picnic walk.  Picnic walks are one of my kids’ favorite meals – we lap blocks and loop neighborhoods, grazing as we go… yogurt here, dried fruit there, crackers down the road, street food across the way…. and big bottles of water to drink (and spill) as we wander.  Sometimes we walk while we eat and sometimes we find a little park or bench to rest.  I always have the stroller along and Isaac hops in and out depending on his personal whims and an occasional “you must get in the stroller now” from me!

Picnic walk is my #1 go-to-meal when the power is out and Matt has missed suppertime for (what seems like) weeks on end!   Well, we walked and walked, found some dessert, walked some more.  Bumped into some friends and visited a bit, then walked some more!  I kept thinking the power would be back ‘any minute’ but it just got darker and the power stayed out.  Finally, a little before 8 we bit the bullet and came inside.  Within minutes the kids’ stripped down to underwear (to beat the heat).  A friend from upstairs sat with me while the kids played and the house got darker and darker.  At one point I realized I better scrounge for some candles and matches before it got too dark to see anything :)

Power was back at 9 or so and we cranked the air conditioners, brushed teeth and hit the sack!  Whew!  The rest of our weekend passed uneventfully, we enjoyed being in an area with a few more friends/acquaintances around and I was especially grateful for the company!  

Matt was on the bus before we sat down to breakfast Sunday morning and a few hours later I got the dreaded text message: “Road blocked by landslides.  Nothing moving.  No idea when I’ll make it home.”   [I had been harboring a smidge of hope he’d be home by nightfall.]  

Grateful again for a small group of friends who gathered for Sunday morning fellowship (we hosted at our ‘borrowed’ home) and a slow afternoon and then the best news of the day: traffic was moving, buses were rolling and Matt would be here before dark!  Yay!

Julianna presented her Daddy with this handmade card



I slept til 8:15 this morning!  Woke up to a quiet home and realized Matt must be out taking the girls to school.  He's here through the end of the week (and only working part-time) then leaves for a final 12-day trip which is his last travel until late August.  We have, off and on, considered accompanying him on this final jaunt, but several factors have convinced us it's just not a good set up (landslides, water outages, unknowns (like location) too numerous to count).

So, here we are determined to enjoy this week-of-Daddy.  Temperatures have soared and we're heading to the pool for the afternoon!



Saturday, July 16, 2011

bounty is relative

We finally made it to the western owned bakery that has a lending library.  And what a treat!!  Sure, it's basically an overstuffed bookshelf, but there is an organizational system to it, and a little spiral notebook where you 'check out' books, and three comfy couches to lounge on while you narrow down your selections.  

All this tucked in a corner of a fun bakery that serves salads, sandwiches and pizza, fresh bread, and tasty-looking desserts. 

The bookshelf is home to all sorts of books .... board books to adult fiction and everything in between.  Unfortunately most of the kid stuff is well out of reach on the higher shelves, but we made it work and I re-shelved what seemed like 236 paperbacks that Isaac pulled out in a desperate search for "boy books". 

Later that afternoon I found Isaac lounging on Julianna's bed reading.  He was so engrossed in the stories (and 'reading' aloud to himself) that I startled him when I walked in the door.



I snagged these abridged versions of some girl-y classics I loved growing up.  Sure, I hope they someday love the unabridged originals, but for my (almost) 4 and 5 year old daughters, these are perfect.


It's a hike from our house, but worth it!  I hope to make the trip once or twice a month from here on out!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

eating our tomatoes

Our tomatoes are ripe and ready for the belly!  Hardly a day goes by that the kids don't check on the progress - from teeny little seedling to tall staked vines to little green 'berries' and now daily-more-red tomatoes! 

We've picked and sliced and eaten a few raw [the royal 'we' that is, meaning my husband and children.... yours truly does not eat raw tomato.  personal policy :)]  Then yesterday Xiao Ren picked more and made a classic egg/tomato dish that our whole family enjoys.  [Yes, our helper cooks lunch once a week, and yes, it is every bit as dreamy as it sounds!]

I forgot to take pictures before she picked, but here's what we've got left growing...



and here it is all cut up and ready for the wok (I did not stage this photo... just walked from the courtyard garden into the kitchen and this is what I saw - yellow flowers from a friend, knives hanging on the wall behind, bright red chopped tomatoes in a white bowl)


This is what it looks like when it hits the table - egg & tomato on the far right, pumpkin in the middle, pork strips and tuerqi gua on the left.




One thing I really enjoy about Xiao Ren is that she is a great cook and quite creative.  She often cooks things I have never even seen before, certainly would not know how to cook, and don't even know the name of.  Tuerqi gua is a new favorite of mine - I have no idea what the English name is, or if it even has one.  Gua is a word attached to quite a few veggies and fruits - it means a melon or gourd.  Gua is in the word for pumpkin, zucchini, winter melon, a cantaloupe-type fruit, watermelon, cucumber, etc

We sat down and Julianna said "wow, so much color!"  It is a bit like eating the rainbow (red, yellow, orange, green plus some brown strips of meat).

special note before you think we have the world's largest appetites: The kids, Xiao Ren and I did not polish this off in one sitting.  I asked her to make extra so I could use the leftovers in fried rice later this week :)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

our idea book

The kids love the creative ideas in magazines - you know, things like 'how to make a wind sock' and 'try this octopus-shaped snack idea' and 'cut along the dotted lines and fold on the solid lines to make a miniature book'...

But their timing is frequently a little bit off .  Picture me at 5:27 pm, oven preheating, chopping veggies in the kitchen, negotiating a toy-sharing issue between the two littles and wondering why I can't find my ringing cell phone.... Julianna approaches "Mom, can you read me the instructions for this one?"  Exactly.

So we started our IDEA BOOK.  Now whenever they see something fun they'd like to try we rip out the page and file it in our clear-plastic pages binder.  And when they sit down with the craft basket they will sometimes choose to flip through the pages of the IDEA BOOK for inspiration.  [Added bonus is that with all the creative ideas ripped out, pre-dinner time book reading doesn't end with a dash to mommy and request to do a craft!]

A few days ago Julianna found her idea, followed the instructions and assembled it entirely on her own.  My only contribution was a "I think you might want to stop a minute and let some glue dry" and a quick run to the back up supplies for more craft sticks. 



Lydia jumped on board and created the base and lid, but my little socialite ran out of time and didn't get to work on the body of the box.  When Lydia crafts her mouth runs three times as fast as her hands :) 

Now that we have our IDEA BOOK it's filling up with all kinds of ideas from all kinds of sources.  Fun for me too - when I see or hear something I can jot a note and file it in the idea book.  If you've got a fun creative idea to put in the book, let me know :)

Friday, July 8, 2011

at the airport

Airports. It's where we like to spend our free time.


ha! But sometimes it feels that way :) Yesterday afternoon I got a text message from Matt that his plane would be in around 7.  So the four of us ate supper and I ran them through the bathtub, back into their play clothes and out to the car so we could go meet Daddy!  


On the way out the door I grabbed the camera.  After all, this airport (and many others) is where we spend a lot of time. 



We live about 7 minutes away - in huge mega-cites with millions of people (like ours) large chunks of the population live at least 45 minutes from the airport.  So we're thankful we live so close (yet not in the flight path, we hear and see very little evidence of our nearby neighbor).  


[Side note in the 'kids say the funniest things category' - as we got closer I said, "let's see who can be first to see or hear an airplane or the control tower.  I mean, see or hear an airplane or see the control tower, you can't hear the control tower."  And Julianna said, "yeah, unless the control tower fell down, then it would make a huge crashing noise and we would definitely be able to hear it."  I chuckled under my breath.  She's right.  If the control tower fell down right as we were driving up we would definitely hear it!]


The arrivals area is pretty close to mass chaos.  The current terminal is less than ten years old and it is already so overcrowded.  Air travel is increasing exponentially in China and airports cannot keep up with the growth.  A new terminal is under construction and sorely needed - yesterday!


Anyways, we've waited for enough arriving flights that Julianna knows to pay attention to the loudspeaker as it announces arrivals.  And we hadn't been inside more than two minutes (I was still trying to safely escort three kiddos through the crowds) when she perked up and hollered (over the noise) "they just announced daddy's plane".  I listened to the repeat announcement and she was right!  


So we figure out where Matt's flight will exit and head over to try to get a spot by the railing where we can see into baggage claim.  This is where the three-blond-kiddos trick works wonders.  We attract enough attention that people tend to part like the Red Sea as they crane their necks to get a good look, and we take advantage of the opportunity to cram in and get a good viewing spot :)  




Of course, everyone sees better if they climb a little higher :)



We were quickly rewarded - not more than ten minutes after we arrived I spotted Matt coming down the escalator.  Big waves and grins and hugs (and a bit more staring from the other folks waiting by the railings) and we were reunited.


Mission Accomplished :) 

(thought you might enjoy this little peek into a very common event for our family, and glad to record it so years from now I can remind the kids that they knew the difference between check-in counters and security lines years before they heard the words 'road trip'!) 

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

snack time at childcare

The girls are in a stage where they play with dolls a LOT.  And let me tell you, taking care of their babies is a big job :)  One day I was playing with them and they were busy changing baby clothes and I asked them who did all the laundry. They looked up at me with surprised expressions on their faces.  I guess that's one good thing about baby dolls versus the real deal - less laundry :) 

Although they've both been known to toss baby doll clothes in the dirty clothes basket for me to wash (in their defense, there are times a good washing is needed for some of their babies often-worn apparel) and Julianna once asked me if I could iron the ribbons on her baby's dress so that the bow would look prettier.  [I ironed.]

The other day the girls (I mean, mommies) were dropping their kids off at childcare (that's me, childcare boss) so they could "go listen to the sermon".  I had my customers all lined up eating snack waiting for their mommies to come pick them up. 



Isaac is definitely not afraid of toting a doll around (or using the same doll to knock his sister on the head).  But he's not one to really engage with this kind of play.  So what's a little brother to do? 


He announced he was the "child care cooker man" and set about getting things ready.  He prepped hot dogs.  Nice choice, bud. 


He is such a funny little guy and really delightful company (although I do weary of the hours spent on the floor playing cars with him... but then I remember how fleeting these years are and what a treasure it is to spend my days sitting on carpet pushing construction trucks around, take a deep breath and keep on going!) 

Two funny things he's been up to recently (recording this so years from now when my memory is shot - maybe it is already? - I can tell him stories of his two year old antics).  One, he almost universally refers to Lydia using the nickname "Lyds byds" (Matt sometimes calls her Lydia Bydia).  I love hearing him say (setting the table) "this is the bowl for Lyds Byds" or (as we walk towards the girls' school gate) "I'll go pick up Julianna and you can get Lyds Byds".

Speaking of Lyds Byds, she talks birthday all. the. time.  I guess I've used the phrase "it's coming right up" (August 15th, for those of you who are not part of the daily - no, hourly - countdown).  So Isaac knows Lydia's birthday is soon, and his is not-so-soon. 

And now he says "Lyds Byds birthday is coming up.  My birthday is coming down."  Once I asked, "what does that mean, buddy, that your birthday is coming down?"  "I'm just pretending" he said. 

Matt called earlier from Hong Kong.  He sounded chipper but must be running on adrenaline because he didn't get to a hotel until 1am, was up and going by 6, crossed the border into HK and got to the visa office via FIVE different subway lines :)  He found and booked a guest house for tonight, goes back to the visa office Thursday morning, crosses the border, back to the airport and home around 7 or 8 pm (with no flight delays).  Friday starts a HUGE summer event that he's spent weeks planning.  He'll be in and out of town for the next three weeks. whoa. 

Hello July. 


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

our fourth of july

Yesterday we did a little celebrating America.  [although the first part of the day wasn't too celebratory.... we had some paperwork to take care of and I guess-timated it would take us an hour, maybe 90 minutes.  WRONG.  Three and a half hours in a hot, crowded government building and we were finally finished - but I have to go back later this week to (hopefully?) pick up the completed forms.  ugh.]

Anyways, we planned to go to a pool party that afternoon with some other Americans.  I packed a dinner picnic (but we ate it for lunch since our morning paperwork took so very long)..... at the pool we met up with some friends, ordered KFC and enjoyed some fellowship.  It seems that most every family with kids our kids ages is out of the country, so it makes me even more grateful that our kids enjoy each other's company (most of the time!)

Today I started to regret that I didn't spend any more time getting my kids ready for the Fourth or even talking much about it (it kind of snuck up on me) so we did a little "Happy Birthday America" singing, prayed for our country and colored some flags.  We also looked at photos from last year's 4th of July celebrating .... this time last year we had been in the US about 48 hours and celebrated with American flags, sparklers, backyard swimming pools, grilled food, and Matt's immediate family.  It's the only time our kids have spent the 4th in the States, and it was a GREAT celebration. 

(Julianna and her flag last year)



This afternoon at 4:30 Matt found out he needs to go to Hong Kong tonight.  So he bought tix for the 9:30 flight and will be gone til Thursday.  We knew this trip was on the horizon and hoped he would fly yesterday.  When he didn't fly yesterday we thought this week was a no-go, but plans change quick.

So, he's bathing the kids, then off to the airport.  Isaac is now running around my feet yelling "I'm naked I'm naked."  He's a big fan of nudity, and any time he changes clothes he likes to take a few laps around the house :) 

If you think of it, please pray for some paperwork/passport/residence issues we are having.  It's so complex I don't even totally understand it, and it would be way more than you ever cared to read on a blog.  We have a few paperwork things that we really need to come through, including one piece of paper that one office denies they even have the capability to produce.  I'm pretty discouraged.  It would be a great encouragement if you would PRAY for all these things to be worked out soon! 

Friday, July 1, 2011

yes, but....

I often get questions (from Americans living in America) that are some form of this: "do you have ______ where you live?"  Fill in the blank with just about anything :)  I love that people are curious about our lives here, and I mostly enjoy answering all the questions. 

And the answer is, most often, "yes, but....."  Yes, technically we have almost everything one could ever think of, but there is usually something pretty different about 'our version' and I always feel like I should qualify my answer.  [yes, i love to be understood ;)]

Here's what it sounds like
 
Q: Do you have washing machines over there?
A: Yes.  But, they are small, slow, ineffective.  It's not hand washing, and I am grateful.  But every time I return to America I am stunned by the difference between American washing machines and our teeny-tiny inefficient equivalent :)

Q: Do you have McDonalds?
A: Yes.  But, they have a different menu (the newest offerings are burgers topped with mashed potatoes and red bean flavored McFlurries - though they also carry the more traditional nuggets and cheeseburgers, you can also 'super-size' a value meal).  Oh, and they are crowded.  Like imagine the most crowded McDs you have ever been too and triple the number of customers.  Now picture them all shoving to the front counters like ordering next is a life or death question.  You've pretty much got the idea :)

Q: Can you take walks around the neighborhood?
A: Yes.  But, we do it SOOOOO much more than car-crazy America.  When we spent six months in the States I missed my stroller.  Sure, I still used it, but not nearly as much as I do in  China.  And I love all the walking.  I love being outside, I (mostly) love all the interaction with the neighbors and living in this kind of community.

Q: Do you have a dishwasher?
A: Yes.  But, it's a person!  And I LOVE having help.  Xiao Ren blesses my socks off with hours of dishwashing (four days a week!) and mopping and all kinds of other sweet ways she serves us. 

So, here's the one for today.

Q: Do you have neighborhood swimming pools?
A: Yes. But :)

The city we now live in has super fun hot and humid summers.  Call me crazy but I grew up in the south and it just feels like home :)  So there are two pools within short walking distance of our apartment.  One is still water-less, and I'm not sure if they plan on opening because honestly, if you haven't opened by July 1 then what's the point?

But the second is such a treat!  (though the walk there is yucky and usually leaves me stressed out).

One corner of the pool has a sloped entry that is paved with little brown stones and mimics the look of a beach.  I think it looks really cool and it's perfect for easy wading 


and head dunking :)



The sloped entry disappears into the deeper blue-tiled section of the pool where we love to swim.  Usually by the time I've gotten everyone to the pool I'm drenched in sweat and ready to get in the cool water! 





The whole scene looks like this


It's definitely gotten a lot more crowded since elementary schools just let out for the summer.  But it's a big pool and there is plenty of room for everyone.  There is also a separate children's pool area complete with double slide, but I didn't manage any pictures of that.  I did get out early to dry off and snap these few pics of the kids before we came home yesterday.

And it's always worth an attempt at a group shot, right?


So, where's the "but" from my "yes, but.... " answer?

Here are a few quirks:
1. the hours.  Open from 1:30 to 5:30 and then again from 6 to 9 or 9:30 (I guess the closing time is dependent on the whims of the staff that day?).  No pool picnics, no going in the morning hours.  I was hoping for long mornings swimming with pb&j by the pool.  oh well.

2. the lifeguards.  Actually, this is maybe the first time I've ever been to a pool here with lifeguards.  So I'm grateful for that.  But I will say I'm not too impressed.  They smoke.  On duty.  enough said :)

3. the pool/deck design.  It's kind of like an high-intensity bicep workout/obstacle course for a stroller.  I mean, seriously, just who did they think was going to use the pool?

4. the other swimmers.  We white-skinned folks are pretty unique around here.  Yesterday afternoon a little boy in goggles followed us around, swimming under the water to get a real close look at our legs.  It was a little unnerving :)  His curiosity was finally satisfied and he left, but I was loosing my patience by the end! 

So, now I feel understood.  Yes, we have a neighborhood pool.  Yes, we love it.

But.....